TS1000BS Base Station User Menu
18
4. LIGHTING PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS
4.1 GENERAL
The conditions that make a site desirable for wireless communication are the same
as those that make a site an excellent target for lighting. Proper lighting protection
can completely prevent equipment damage in all but the most severe strikes, and
even then, can keep the equipment damage to a minimum. Lighting protection
consists of preventing the strike from entering the equipment room, and then
preventing damage to the equipment from induced voltages and currents on power
and control lines to the equipment. The following suggestions will help protect
valuable radio facilities. Some products already incorporate certain suppressors as
standard equipment. In these cases, additional protection is not normally required,
unless dictated by unusual site considerations. When such unique situations occur,
consult the appropriate area office for further information.
4.2 INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
Protection is provided by keeping the lighting strike currents in the grounding
network; rather then letting it find its own way to ground through the equipment.
a)
Keep the tower grounding resistance as low as possible. The lighting stoke
current belongs in the tower structure and grounding system; not on the
transmission line.
b)
Use copper clad grounding rods at least eight feet long. Multiple grounding
rods are better than one, especially in areas with dry climate and/or soil that
is sandy, rocky, or both.
c)
Provide additional grounding to the transmission line sheath wherever
possible. Make it a point to ground the transmission line where it is
supported on poles and where it enters a building.
d)
Bond all equipment cabinets together at a single point. Then ground that
point to a grounding rod network, using as short, straight, and heavy a
